Stair stand for a bucket

ABSTRACT

A device for holding a bucket on a staircase is disclosed. The device provides a longer and more secure base for a bucket than a typical step or horizontal portion of a staircase. The bucket may be a paint bucket, such as a five gallon paint bucket. The device may be comprised of a thick portion which rests on a first horizontal portion of the staircase, and a thin portion which rests on a second horizontal portion of the staircase. The device may have an indentation for holding the bucket, wherein the indentation may extend beyond an edge of the first horizontal portion of the staircase, when the device is placed on the staircase. The indentation may be substantially circular. The thin portion may have a bottom surface to which bumpers are attached, and the thick portion may have a bottom surface to which bumpers are attached. The thin portion may have a length about the length of a first horizontal portion of the stair case, and the thick portion may have a length about the length of a second horizontal portion of the stair case.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to methods and apparatus concerningholding buckets particularly paint buckets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Buckets containing various fluids, such as paint, can be easilytipped over or spilled, particularly if placed on stairs. There is aneed for a device which prevents or inhibits such spills.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention in one embodiment discloses a device forholding a bucket on a staircase. The device provides a longer and moresecure base for a bucket than a typical step or horizontal portion of astaircase. The bucket may be a paint bucket, such as a five gallon paintbucket.

[0004] The device may be comprised of a thick portion which rests on afirst horizontal portion of the staircase, and a thin portion whichrests on a second horizontal portion of the staircase. The device mayhave an indentation for holding the bucket, wherein the indentation mayextend beyond an edge of the first horizontal portion of the staircase,when the device is placed on the staircase. The indentation may besubstantially circular.

[0005] The thin portion may have a bottom surface to which bumpers areattached and the thick portion may have a bottom surface to whichbumpers are attached. The thin portion may have a length about thelength of the first horizontal portion of the stair case, and the thickportion may have a length about the length of the second horizontalportion of the stair case. The thin portion may have a width about halfof the width of the first horizontal portion of the stair case. Thethick portion may have a width about half of the width of the secondhorizontal portion of the stair case. A first portion of the indentationfor holding the bucket may be located in the thin portion of the deviceand a second portion of the indentation may be located in the thickportion of the device.

[0006] The present invention includes a method comprising the steps ofplacing a device for holding a bucket on a stair case and placing thebucket into an indentation of the device. The indentation may extendbeyond a first horizontal portion of the stair case.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a staircase and a device forholding a bucket on the staircase;

[0008]FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the staircase and device forholding a bucket of FIG. 1 with a bucket shown held by the device; and

[0009]FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the device of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a staircase 100 and a device 10for holding a bucket on the staircase 100. FIG. 2 shows a perspectiveview of the staircase 100 and the device 10 with a bucket 200 shown heldby the device 10. FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the device 10 of FIG. 1.

[0011] The device 10 includes a thin portion 22 which has a height, H1,which may be one and one half (1 and {fraction (1/2)}) inches. Thedevice 10 also includes a thick portion 11 which has a height, H2, whichmay be ten inches. The thin portion 22 and the thick portion 11 areshown separated by a dashed line L1, but may actually be integratedtogether into one piece.

[0012] The thin portion 22 may have a width W1 shown in FIG. 3, whichmay be thirteen inches, which may be about one half the width WS of thestaircase 100, shown in FIG. 1. The thin portion 22 may have a length,L2 shown in FIG. 3, which may be ten inches, which may be about the sameas the length, LS, of a horizontal portion of staircase 100, such as ahorizontal portion 140, shown in FIG. 1. The device 10 may have acircular indentation 14 having a surrounding edge 16. The circularindentation may have a diameter which is slightly greater than thediameter of a bucket, to be placed in the indentation 14, such as thebucket 200 shown in FIG. 2. The bucket 200 may be a five gallon paintbucket. A portion 14 a of the indentation 14 is located in the thinportion 22 and a portion 14 b of the indentation 14 is located in thethick portion 11. In this manner, the indentation 14 extends beyond anedge 121 of the horizontal portion 120, so that the length forstabilizing a bucket, such as bucket 200, is increased beyond the lengthLS of a horizontal portion 120 of the staircase 100.

[0013] The thick portion 11 may have a width W1 which is the same as thewidth W1 of the thin portion 22. The thick portion 11 has a length, L3shown in FIG. 3, which may be six inches, which may be about the lengthof a stair of the staircase 100, such as length LS of stair 140.

[0014] The thin portion 22 may have a bottom surface 22 d on which arelocated legs or bumpers 23, 25, and 27. Bumpers 23, such as bumper 23 a,are located near side 22 b of thin portion 22; bumpers 25, such asbumper 25 a, are located near side 22 a; and bumpers 27, such as bumper27 a, are located near side 22 c. The thick portion 11 may have a bottomsurface 13 on which are located legs or bumpers 17, 19, and 21. Bumpers17, such as bumper 17 a, are located near side 24 of the thick portion11; bumpers 21, such as bumper 21 a, are located near side 20; andbumpers 19, such as bumper 19 a, are located near side 18 of the thickportion 11. The bumpers 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, and 27 may be rubber and mayprevent the device 10 from scratching a hard wooden floor, for example.The bumpers 17, 19, 21, 23, and 25 may also provide substantial frictionto prevent the device 10 from sliding from the position shown in FIG. 1or from falling off of the staircase 100.

[0015] The staircase 100 includes horizontal portions 110, 120, 130, and140; vertical portions 112, 122, 132, and 142.; and edges 111, 121, 131,and 141. Each horizontal portion, together with its correspondingvertical portion, such as 110 and 112, form a stair or step. Thehorizontal portions 110, 120, 130, and 140 are typically the same size,and the vertical portions 112, 122, 132, and 142 are typically the samesize and they are all typically structurally supported by a solid base170. The staircase 100 may lie next to a wall 150 and a door 160 may belocated near horizontal portion 110.

[0016] In operation, a user places the device 10 on the staircase 100 sothat the bottom surface 22 d of the thin portion 22 is parallel andadjacent to the horizontal portion 120, and the bottom surface 13 of thethick portion 11 is parallel and adjacent to the horizontal portion 130as shown by referring to FIGS. 1 and 3. The device 10 thus spans twohorizontal portions 120 and 130. The device 10 can be enlarged so thatit spans more than two horizontal portions, such as for examplehorizontal portions 120, 130 and 140.

[0017] The device 10 is placed so that the side or edge 22 c of the thinportion 22 is substantially parallel to and closely adjacent to ortouching the vertical portion 112 and so that the inner side 9 of thethick portion 11 is substantially parallel to and closely adjacent to ortouching the vertical portion 122. When situated, as in FIG. 1, all orsubstantially all of the bumpers 23, 25, and 27 from the thin portion 22contact the horizontal portion 120 and all or substantially all thebumpers 17, 19, and 21 from the thick portion 11 contact the horizontalportion 130. In the position of FIG. 1, the device 10 is solidly placedon the staircase 100 and is not easily slid or tipped over.

[0018] Following the placement of the device 10 as in FIG. 1, a bucket200 is placed inside the indentation 14 of the device 10, as shown byFIG. 2. The edge 16, prevents the bucket 200 from sliding out of theindentation 14. The bucket 200 can now be used and is not easily tippedover. The indentation 14, which extends beyond the edge 121 of thehorizontal portion 120, provides greater stabilization then thehorizontal portion 120 by itself.

[0019] Typically the length of horizontal portions of a typicalstaircase, such as the length of the horizontal portion 120 (which istypically the same as 140), is smaller than the diameter of a largebucket, such as a five gallon paint bucket, such as bucket 200. Thedevice 10 extends the area on which the bucket 200 can rest and therebyalso stabilizes the bucket 200.

[0020] When placed as shown in FIG. 1, a top surface 22 e of the thinportion 22 and the top surface 12 of the thick portion 11 are parallel,in the same plane and are both perpendicular to the horizontal portion120 of the stair case 100. Also the bottom surface 22 d of the thinportion 22 and the bottom surface 13 of the thick portion 11 areparallel. The bottom surface 22 d is perpendicular to the horizontalportion 120 and the bottom surface 11 is perpendicular to the horizontalportion 130. Horizontal portions 110, 120, 130, and 140 are parallel toone another.

[0021] Although the invention has been described by reference toparticular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes andmodifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Itis therefore intended to include within this patent all such changes andmodifications as may reasonably and properly be included within thescope of the present invention's contribution to the art.

I claim:
 1. An apparatus comprising a device for holding a bucket on astaircase.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device is comprisedof a thick portion which rests on a first horizontal portion of thestaircase; and a thin portion which rests on a second horizontal portionof the staircase.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the device has anindentation for holding the bucket; wherein the indentation extendsbeyond an edge of a first horizontal portion of the staircase, when thedevice is placed on the staircase.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 whereinthe indentation is substantially circular.
 5. The apparatus of claim 2wherein the thin portion has a bottom surface to which bumpers areattached; and the thick portion has a bottom surface to which bumpersare attached.
 6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the thin portion has alength which is about equal to a length of a first horizontal portion ofthe stair case; and the thick portion has a length which is about equalto a length of a second horizontal portion of the stair case.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 2 wherein the thin portion has a width which is abouthalf of a width of a first horizontal portion of the stair case; and thethick portion has a width which is about half of a width of a secondhorizontal portion of the stair case.
 8. The apparatus of claim 2wherein the device has an indentation for holding the bucket; whereinthe indentation extends beyond an edge of a first horizontal portion ofthe staircase, when the device is placed on the staircase; and wherein afirst portion of the indentation is located in the thin portion and asecond portion of the indentation is located in the thick portion. 9.The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the indentation is able to hold a fivegallon paint bucket.
 10. A method comprising the steps of placing adevice for holding a bucket on a stair case; and placing the bucket intoan indentation of the device; wherein the indentation extends beyond afirst horizontal portion of the stair case,
 11. The method of claim 10wherein the device is comprised of a thick portion and a thin portion;and further comprising placing the thin portion on the first horizontalportion of the stair case; and placing the thick portion on a secondhorizontal portion of the stair case.
 12. The method of claim 10 whereinthe indentation is substantially circular.
 13. The method of claim 11wherein the thin portion has a bottom surface to which bumpers areattached; and the thick portion has a bottom surface to which bumpersare attached.
 14. The method of claim 11 wherein the thin portion has alength which is about equal to a length of the first horizontal portionof the stair case; and the thick portion has a length which is aboutequal to a the length of a second horizontal portion of the stair case.15. The method of claim 11 wherein the thin portion has a width which isabout half of a width of the first horizontal portion of the stair case;and the thick portion has a width which is about half of a width of asecond horizontal portion of the stair case.
 16. The method of claim 10wherein the indentation is able to hold a paint bucket.
 17. The methodof claim 10 wherein the indentation is able to hold a five gallon paintbucket.